DISNEY LETS MOUSE OUT OF BAG ON WIDE RELEASE OF `FANTASIA'.Byline: Dave McNary Staff Writer Walt Disney Noun 1. Walt Disney - United States film maker who pioneered animated cartoons and created such characters as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck; founded Disneyland (1901-1966) Disney, Walter Elias Disney Co. has confirmed it will release ``Fantasia fantasia (făntā`zhə) [Ital.,=fancy], musical composition not restricted to a formal design, but constructed freely in the manner of an improvisation. In the 16th and 17th cent. 2000'' next year in the regular 35 millimeter format after its exclusive four-month run at 71 large-format Imax sites. Disney had been vague about whether it would move the update of the animated classic, which will open on New Year's Day New Year's Day, among ancient peoples the first day of the year frequently corresponded to the vernal or autumnal equinox, or to the summer or winter solstice. In the Middle Ages it was celebrated among Christians usually on Mar. 25. , into conventional theaters. But its holiday card - sent this week to thousands of friends, associates and vendors of the entertainment conglomerate - spilled the beans by listing a July opening as part of its key ``Disney dates'' for the upcoming year. Distribution chief Chuck Viane admitted that the film, featuring seven new sequences plus ``The Sorcerer's Apprentice'' from the 1940 original, will receive a nationwide rollout sometime next year but added that July is not necessarily when it will open. ``We will definitely have a 35 mm break for the film but it's a little premature to say what the date is,'' he added. Chances are good that the opening date for ``Fantasia 2000'' will not be in May, since Disney has already set May 12 for ``Dinosaur dinosaur (dī`nəsôr) [Gr., = terrible lizard], extinct land reptile of the Mesozoic era. The dinosaurs, which were egg-laying animals, ranged in length from 2 1-2 ft (91 cm) to about 127 ft (39 m). ,'' a high-cost project with leading-edge animation and one of its ``tentpole'' releases for the summer season. Trailers for ``Dinosaur,'' which appears aimed squarely at children and families, were launched last month along with the opening of ``Toy Story 2.'' Entertainment analyst Kevin Skoslock of Laguna Research Partners said it makes sense for Disney to keep its strategy undercover. ``It's smart of them to leave themselves some flexibility in scheduling,'' he added. ``I've got a feeling that this is going be a strong performer, so it would not surprise me if they extended the Imax run.'' Disney has booked Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, screenings for ``Fantasia 2000'' at Imax theaters in Valencia, Irvine, Cathedral City and Ontario. It is also building a 622-seat temporary theater in the Westchester area that will be dismantled dis·man·tle tr.v. dis·man·tled, dis·man·tling, dis·man·tles 1. a. To take apart; disassemble; tear down. b. once the Imax run is completed. ``The fact that Disney is building a temporary theater sends a signal that they may have a hit,'' Skoslock noted. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) ``Fantasia 2000'' will make its debut New Year's Day, but only on mammoth mammoth, name for several large prehistoric elephants of the extinct genus Mammuthus, which ranged over Eurasia and North America in the Pleistocene epoch. Imax screens; a 35 mm release will come months later. |
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